SHAFER HILLSIDE SELECT
NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA 2022
WHY BUY: The estate Robert Parker once called "one of the world's greatest wineries" is in the midst of a quiet reinvention, producing wines more vibrant and energetic than ever: witness the 97-point Hillside Select 2022, which we’re thrilled to bring you early access to. Jeb Dunnuck has called Hillside Select a "first growth-like cuvée" and "one of the greatest Cabernet Sauvignons in the world,” and this is the best it’s been in many a year.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: "Black plum, coffee, spice, leather and incense are all amplified,” wrote Vinous, in a 96-point review of the 2022 vintage of Hillside Select. "There’s gorgeous depth and plenty of structure. ... [O]ne of the most promising wines of the year."
OUR TASTING NOTES: Pour the Hillside Select 2022, and you immediately know you're dealing with a statement wine. The color alone is practically black, with just enough purple edge to hint at the promise of the fruit to come. On the nose, the blackcurrant and graphite hit you like a one-two punch, followed by a gorgeous run of cedar, tobacco leaf, and dark chocolate fondue. The tannins are firm but polished: you won’t find any rough edges here, and the palate builds slowly and steadily, revealing spice, leather, and incense. The finish is rich and controlled, and brings you back to those early notes of dark fruit and oak.
THE STORY: The Hillside Select comes from their Hillside Vineyard, a 54-acre south-facing, amphitheater-like vineyard of thin, rocky, volcanic soils in the famed Stags Leap District. Shafer has been crafting it since 1978. These soils could hardly be more ideal for producing world-class grapes. But the care and craft doesn’t end there. The wine spends upwards of 32 months in new French oak, a serious investment of time and money, and one that signals the utter seriousness of Shafer’s intentions. What makes this release particularly exciting for us, and for you, too, we hope, is that it's typically offered once a year only to members of their Hillside Select Allocation List; we’re proud to have secured it for our own members.
FUN FACT: The U.S. wine industry essentially ceased production during Prohibition, but grape-growing continued uninterrupted at the property where Shafer today resides, a testament to the exceptional terroir of the site.
OUR GUARANTEE: As always, we only buy and source directly from the estate, so you can be confident that your wine will arrive in your hands with pristine provenance. Order yours today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Fall 2025. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. The price reflected on your order form is subject to change after the order is placed in the event of a change in tariffs or taxes that are imposed by the U.S. government, or in the case of currency fluctuations of 10% or greater. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NE, NY, OK, TN, or WI. The 1.5L is not available in CT, IN, KY, lA, NM, NJ, or TX. This offer is valid for TWO WEEKS, or until sold out, and will expire on Thursday, July 31st, 2025.